nly three individuals haveserved as president ofMiddlesex CommunityCollege during its 40-year

history: James E. Houlihan Jr., Evan J.Dobelle and Carole A. Cowan. Eachhas brought their personalities, uniqueskills and special talents to the job.And, the college is infinitely richer fortheir service and vision.

Founding President Jim Houlihan washired in 1969 to open the 13th of thestate's 15 community colleges.

"I would describe the years underHoulihan as more inward looking," saidFrank Falcetta, a charter facultymember and administrator who workedat MCC for more than 30 years. "Wethought of ourselves as a `junior'college focused on helping studentstransfer."

Through a combination of patienceand perseverance over his 18-yeartenure, Houlihan put Middlesex on themap. By the time he retired in 1987,MCC also had campuses in Burlingtonand Lowell.

MCC's second president, EvanDobelle, took the reins in 1988. "Evan

really shook the place up," saidFalcetta. "He raised the institution'sprofile. We kind of morphed from acollege where people dressed in tweeds,to one where the faculty wore businesssuits," he said.

An administrator who moved easily inpolitical circles, Dobelle was presidentjust short of three years. But he iscredited with pushing through thelegislation that funded MCC'spermanent campuses.

"Evan is a change agent. He comes in,shakes up an institution, and moveson," said Falcetta. "But he was the rightperson at the right time. He was able tomake sure we got the money to build apermanent campus," he said.

"We were a small college, doing littlethings," said Lois Alves, who was hiredas Registrar in 1981 and is now VicePresident of Enrollment Services,Research & Planning. "Then, Evancame in and said, `There's a whole bigworld out there and lots more we cando.' " And, Carole Cowan wasDobelle's right-hand person, Alvesadded.